Paris: Qatar's prime minister has disclosed that Hamas is open to discussing measures to ensure it no longer poses a threat to Israel, although discussions on the group's weapons have been deferred due to the lack of readiness for a comprehensive agreement. This revelation emerged from an interview published Sunday. According to Anadolu Agency, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who also serves as Qatar's foreign minister, stated that mediators opted to postpone negotiations regarding Hamas' arms following the successful brokering of a Gaza ceasefire agreement. This agreement was instrumental in halting the violence in the region. Sheikh Mohammed, speaking after a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and other Arab and European foreign ministers in Paris, emphasized that pursuing a full-package negotiation would not have yielded the current progress. He noted that Hamas is open to discussions about not posing a threat to Israel, though he did not specify the details or timeline for these tal ks. Hamas has historically resisted disarmament, advocating for a Palestinian national dialogue to address Gaza's future, including the issue of its weapons. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been firm on disarming Hamas and demilitarizing Gaza, asserting that it will be achieved either diplomatically or through force. Sheikh Mohammed highlighted the importance of determining the entity to which Hamas would surrender its weapons, pointing out the significant difference between handing them to a reformed Palestinian Authority or another entity. The ceasefire agreement has deferred critical issues like the future of Hamas's weapons and the post-war governance of Gaza to future discussions, with the immediate focus on completing a hostage exchange. The Qatari diplomat also mentioned internal disagreements within Hamas regarding disarmament, with some leaders opposing it while others favor a more pragmatic approach. He noted that Hamas lost a crucial leverage point against Israel by rele asing its last hostages. In a recent development, US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the initial phase of a plan aimed at establishing a ceasefire in Gaza, exchanging captives, and eventually leading to the withdrawal of Israeli forces. This first phase took effect last Friday, and phase two involves establishing a new governing mechanism in Gaza without Hamas and forming a multinational force for disarmament. Since October 2023, Israeli attacks in Gaza have resulted in over 67,600 Palestinian casualties, predominantly women and children, rendering the region largely uninhabitable.